This invention provides a bobble for bottle neck apparatus and method.
Figurines, of generally hand-holdable size, can be fashioned to represent any of a large range of symbols, persons, holidays, events, sports teams, logos, and the like. A figurine can be a source of amusement for the owner, but can also be a means of communicating or signaling outlooks, affiliations, and beliefs to others in an amusing way. Many individuals are inclined to wear or carry figurines of various kinds out in public and to public events in order to broadcast the individual's point of view. Although the chosen figurine could be upsetting or confrontational, very often an amusing figurine is wanted in order to invite friendly attention, as an ice breaker or a conversation starter.
Often, business, social, or religious groups or organizations provide beverages in bottles or cans, either offered for sale or given away for promotional or relationship-developing purposes. Such an organization may wish to attract attention and convey its message through the provided beverages, so that the individual recipient continues to pay attention to the organization's presence after walking away from the distribution point, and also so that other individuals can be exposed to the message when seeing the first individual walking around with the beverage.
Regarding exposure of a message, a bobbling moving figurine catches attention more effectively than a static figurine. Further, a figurine placed on a beverage container will be seen by the drinker and by persons looking at the drinker. Accordingly, an ability to display such a figurine on a beverage, remove such a figurine as desired, and to substitute such a figurine with an alternative figuring is desirable.
The prior art does not disclose the use of a sleeve for a drinking container in combination with a spring-attached accessory, particularly where such accessories are removable and substitutable.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,029,360, issued to Victor Jonathan Hawkins on Apr. 18, 2006 for a “Bobble Head Fluid Container,” discloses an apparatus for human consumption that includes a container. A spring is attached to a screw on a lid disposed at the top of the container. A support member of the bobble head engages a top of the spring. A hole is provided in the container that is adapted to receive a straw. The support member is attached to a head, and the spring supports the head above the lid so it can bobble from side to side, twist around a center axis, or bob up and down. The head is urged downward and protrusions and recesses in the support member and lid act like gear teeth to engage with each other and permit rotating the head and lid simultaneously to loosen or tighten the lid.
U.S. Design Pat. No. D601,018 issued Sep. 29, 2009 to Bradford Trayser for a “Bottle Band.”
U.S. Design Pat. No. D477,781 issued Jul. 29, 2003 to Joseph E. Lavallee for a “Wine Bottle Ring.”
U.S. Pat. No. 6,047,709, issued Apr. 11, 2000 to Yuan Ming Tu on “Replaceable Hair Decorative Members,” covers a hair holding that includes a main body with an outer periphery. A number of first pegs are formed on the outer periphery of the main body. A spring is removably attached to each first peg, and a decorative member with a second peg is removably attached to each spring. Each spring has a first end with a first hole slightly greater than an associated first peg. Each spring has a second end with a second hole slightly greater than the peg of an associated decorative member. The user may change the decorative members whenever she likes, thereby obtaining numerous combinations of the decorative members. The decorative members may also be removed from the main body of the apparatus and thus provide a conventional hair holder.
U.S. Publication No. 2011/0254225 was published Oct. 20, 2011 by Amanda Doherty et al. on “Fashion Accessories and Entertainment Instruments with Personalized Appearances.” The Doherty concept discloses fashion accessories and entertainment instruments where accessory pieces can be rearranged instantly on a support. Exemplary embodiments include a game board that can be curled up and wrapped around a wrist. In the reconfigurable band, the band comprises (1) an elongated band body of a length and a width and two ends, the band body having an inner side and an opposing, outer side, where the outer side comprises one or more loop-fastener pieces, and wherein the band body comprises a substantially planar piece of board packed into a band configuration; (2) a pair of band fasteners, one at each end of the band body to form a loop sized to fit around a substantially cylindrical part of the body; and (3) a plurality of accessory items, each affixed with a hook-fastener piece, wherein the loop-fastener pieces cooperate with the hook-fastener pieces to prove detachable and re-attachable fastening of the accessory items to the outer side of the band. The detachable and re-attachable pieces may be used to decorate and reconfigure various objects such as small fashion accessories like wristbands or game board pieces like puzzles. The pieces are fashioned from various materials and rely on fasteners to anchor and release them in such a way that they may be arranged, coordinated, reconfigured, traded, stored, and outfitted in different ways at different times to suit the owner.
U.S. Publication No. 2003/0226298 was published Dec. 11, 2003 by Karl Andrew Bjork and discloses a “Bottle Neck Identification Ring and Method.” The Bjork apparatus features a closed, unbroken ring having an identifying member attached thereto, the ring having elasticity for placement on the free end of a bottle neck. The publication also provides for a method of distinguishing a plurality of bottles from one another by placing respective closed rings with distinctive ornamentation on the necks of each of the plurality of bottles.
U.S. Publication No. 2013/0043245, published Feb. 21, 2013 by Shawn Griffis on a “Scented Attachment for Containers,” discloses an attachment for providing a scent to a container. The scented attachment may be configured for being associated with a container, such as a drink or a food storage container. In one instance, the attachment is of a size or shape so as to fit around a circumference of the container. In another instance, the attachment may be configured for being associated to the container with a suitable attachment mechanism. For instance, the attachment may include a substrate having a first surface comprising an attachment mechanism for associating the scented attachment to the container and a second surface comprising a scent. Systems including a scented attachment and a container, including their methods of use, are also provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,244,544, issued Jun. 12, 2001 to John Kitscha et al., covers a “Method and Apparatus for Holding a Capacitor Without Separable Fasteners.” The capacitor holder is used for mounting capacitors used in electronics assemblies into a fixture, as well as mounting other types of components in other panels. The capacitor holder includes a support for receiving the capacitor and a cover for covering the capacitor. The cover and support are attached to each other without the use of separable fasteners. Typically, snap-fit tabs depending from the cover are used to attach the cover to the support with a capacitor therebetween to form an assembly. The assembly is mounted into a fixture panel without the use of separable fasteners. In another typical embodiment, the mounting members are push-in and twist or push-in and snap-fit members integral with the cover. Thus, the capacitor is mounted within a fixture without separable fasteners. A method of aligning the capacitor within the panel is also disclosed.
There is therefore a need in the art for a bottle neck apparatus, and method of providing same, that allows the user to display a bobbling, moving figurine that may represent one of a range of symbols.
There is a further need in the art for such a bottle neck apparatus, and method of providing same, that allows the user to selectively apply, remove, and substitute bobbling, moving figures as desired when utilizing the bobble.